


Close Encounters

by KittyKait, MadameCissy



Series: Stuck In The Middle With You [2]
Category: Major Crimes (TV), The Closer
Genre: F/F, Just a little bit of harmless fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 01:42:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7385851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyKait/pseuds/KittyKait, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadameCissy/pseuds/MadameCissy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sharon and Brenda get more than they bargained for on a late night journey back to LA</p>
            </blockquote>





	Close Encounters

**Author's Note:**

> For Marta,  
> Inspired by the fact you wanted to see Sharon and Brenda sitting in a tree... K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
> 
> We love you x  
> Cissy & Kitty

Brenda was tired. Having spent the last forty-eight hours driving several hundreds of miles to interview a suspect, surviving on copious amounts of coffee and Twizzlers and having slept in a motel bed so hard she could feel the bruises beginning to form across her back, she was ready to just get home, have a shower and sleep for a week.

She blinked a couple of times and tried to remain focused on the road ahead. The odd street light cast a yellow glow across small parts of the single lane road that cut through what Brenda guessed would be a beautiful landscape during daytime hours. But now that darkness had fallen and the sky was black and riddled with stars, it felt like she was driving into the abyss. The road markings weren't clear and they hadn't passed another car for at least ten miles.

Brenda attempted to ease some of the strain in her arms by rolling her shoulders, a movement that didn't go unnoticed by her companion. From the corner of her eye Brenda saw Sharon Raydor sit up and readjust her glasses before looking at Brenda.

Brenda bit back a frustrated groan. Not only had she been faced with a long journey, an awful bed and the stupidity of the small town Sheriff's office, she had been forced to share all of these wonderful delights with Captain Sharon Raydor.

Sharon leaned over to the radio and turned the volume down, effectively shutting off Leanne Womack as she sang _"I may hate myself in the morning, but I'm gonna love you tonight."_ Then bright green eyes behind dark rimmed glasses focused fully on Brenda.

"Any idea how much longer till we reach some kind of civilisation?"

"That depends entirely on what you think civilisation means," Brenda answered and shuddered at the memory of the gas station where she and Sharon had stopped two hours earlier. She had half expected to find several bodies hidden behind the counter when she went to pay and walked back to the car with her hand on her gun.

"Somewhere that actually has cell service would be nice," Sharon muttered as she studied the lit up screen of her Blackberry.

Brenda wondered who Sharon possibly wanted to call at this time of night. It was after ten and they had at least four more hours to go. Right now she regretted for the first time turning down Sharon's suggestion to stay for another night and heading home in the morning. Even an uncomfortable bed was better than this.

A low rumbling noise filled the car and Sharon's head whipped up in alarm. "What was that?"

Brenda shook her head. "I don't know."

The noise lasted only a few seconds before silence returned. But just as she was about to lean back a little in her seat, an even sharper noise filled the car and Brenda noticed that suddenly the car was a lot more difficult to control. She gripped the wheel tighter, her knuckles turning white, and the sound of metal scraping against metal continued to fill the car.

Brenda slammed on the brakes as best as she could and the car slowed down, just as she lost control over the wheel. The vehicle swerved slightly before coming to a stop at the side of the road, the front wheels in the grass. The smell of smoke penetrated Brenda's nose and she turned to look at Sharon. The older woman looked back at her in alarm and they unbuckled their seatbelts at the exact same moment.

When she got out of the car Brenda immediately noticed the plume of smoke rising from the hood of the car.

"Fuck," she whispered under her breath.

Sharon arched an eyebrow, clearly amused at the Chief's swearing. "You can say that again."

"Fuck!" Brenda repeated, a little more clearly this time. "You don't happen to know anything about cars, do you?" She asked hopefully.

"I know how to drive one, I know how to park one, and I know where the gas goes. My knowledge ends there," Sharon replied. "But what I do know is that that…" She pointed at the smoke. "…is not good."

Brenda snorted. "Are you always this sarcastic or are you making a special effort today?" Her hand shot down to her pocket to retrieve her cell phone but Sharon shook her head. She held up her Blackberry.

"Don't bother. No signal."

Brenda kicked against the wheel of the car and looked at Sharon. It was infuriating that the brunette was still so damn calm when Brenda felt so agitated. "So, any smart ideas? I'm open to suggestions."

"Well, normally I would suggest staying in the car and waiting for another vehicle to come by, but since there's a lot of smoke coming from the hood, I'm not taking any chances. Don't fancy being blown up tonight," Sharon answered. "We could try and see if there's a place where we can call for help. Walk for maybe a mile, two at most. I don't want to risk getting lost."

Brenda couldn't argue with that logic and she leaned back into the car to pick up her purse, when she turned back around she found Sharon writing on the rear window with what looked to be lipstick. In neat capital letters she wrote BROKEN DOWN and then turned around to Brenda.

The road was lined with trees on either side. It was the only road cutting through this part of California and Brenda remembered when they did the drive in the opposite direction two days earlier that the forest on either side of the road was quite thick. She heaved a sigh and swung her purse over her shoulder. She wished she'd chosen better shoes but since the bright pink stiletto heels were all she had, they would have to do.

They started walking and after a few yards Brenda looked back over her shoulder. It felt unnerving to leave the car behind but she knew it was no longer safe. She then looked at Sharon, let her gaze drop to the brunette's feet. To her amusement she saw Sharon was also wearing black stilettos. The woman who always seemed prepared for every occasion had clearly not been prepared for this. Brenda couldn't help but smirk.

They walked silently for a few more minutes before Sharon turned to look at Brenda. "Try your cell." She held up her Blackberry. "Mine's still not working."

Brenda squinted as she studied the small screen on her phone. Zero bars.

"Fantastic," she groaned. "Stuck in the middle of nowhere…" She'd wanted to add 'with you' to the end of that sentence but swallowed the words at the last second. From the way Sharon looked at her she guessed the brunette had noticed but she didn't say anything.

"This isn't exactly my idea of a good time either, you know," Sharon pointed out.

"Really?" Brenda arched an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me."

She looked up at the road ahead. There was another street lamp maybe fifty yards away. The light was faint; whoever was in charge of maintenance around here clearly needed sacking. Everything else around them was dark. No sign of any houses or cars. Just the wind rustling some of the branches. She was about to say something to Sharon when she felt the older woman grab her arm. Brenda's head snapped up, ready to tell Sharon that surely she didn't need help seeing in the dark, but when she saw the look on the Captain's face, Brenda realised something was wrong.

"Did you hear that?" Sharon's voice had dropped to a whisper.

"What?" Brenda hadn't heard anything but she hadn't exactly been paying attention.

Sharon looked around. "It sounded like a branch snapped or something."

"We are in the middle of a forest. What did you think you were going to hear? The ocean?"

"Will you just shut up and listen?!" Sharon demanded, her grip on Brenda's arm tightening.

They stood still and Brenda strained to listen. She didn't hear anything. Just the wind in the leaves. She didn't hear any of the things she wanted to hear; a car, the sound of a phone ringing…

"It was probably nothing," Brenda reassured Sharon. The brunette didn't seem convinced and Brenda rolled her eyes. "Sharon, there isn't anyone around for miles. It's the reason we have to walk to find help in the first place."

Sharon pulled her hand back but didn't seem entirely convinced. She shot another weary glance in the direction she had heard the sound and she and Brenda carried on walking.

This was not how she had expected her night to end. She had expected to get home and have a long hot shower, then fall to sleep in her own bed. The long car journey as well as the temperatures throughout the day had left her feeling a little grubby and she wanted nothing more than to just rinse it all off. What she also wanted to rinse off was the frustration over the incompetence from the Sheriff they had just dealt with as well as the memory of their suspect who had been leering at her from the moment Sharon walked into the interrogation room.

"This doesn't bode well," Brenda commented when they reached the point where the road took a bend.

Sharon looked up. "What?"

But then she saw what Brenda meant. Ahead of them was only a vast darkness. The road continued down a hill, now only lit up by the light of the moon, and there wasn't a sign of civilisation anywhere. Sharon ran her hands through her hair and turned to look at Brenda.

"So, unless we fancy walking forever, it doesn't look like we're going to find help anytime soon."

Brenda arched an eyebrow. "You think?"

Sharon ignored Brenda's sarcastic comment and pushed her hands into her pockets. "We need a better plan."

"Well, I don't have one."

"Neither do I."

Brenda feigned shock. "You don't have a plan? Gosh, there's a first time for everythin'."

"We should probably go back to the car," Sharon suggested. "Hopefully the smoke will have settled and we won't have to spend the night out in the open air."

Brenda tried not to look too upset by the thought of spending the night with Sharon Raydor in the small space of their sedan but she knew they didn't have a choice, so she turned around and headed back in the direction they had just come from. Noticing that the street lamp they had past moments earlier had now gone out, the world seemed full of shadows now and an unexpected chill crept down Brenda's spine.

Something caught her eye and she turned her head. She could've sworn she saw something… a shadow…

"Sharon?" she whispered, reaching out to touch the brunette's shoulder.

"What?"

"Did you see that?"

Sharon rolled her eyes. "Really, Brenda? This is not the time for ghost stories."

"But I really did see…"

"You said yourself there's no one around for miles. It's your imagination."

Brenda was imaging something alright but it was more related to wanting to slap the Captain than anything else.

The car came into view and Sharon heaved a sigh of relief at the sight. She quickened her pace and heard Brenda a few steps behind her. There were now only a few metres separating her from the vehicle and she just wanted to get back inside, out of the cold, and think of some kind of way to get this whole disaster over with.

The next thing she knew, Sharon felt Brenda grab her around her waist. The blonde yanked her backwards and Sharon spun around, ready to ask the Chief what the hell she was doing but when she saw the look on Brenda's face, the words died on her lips. Brenda just pointed and Sharon slowly followed with her eyes. She saw the shadow appear from the back of the car and then her heart skipped a beat.

The bear had reached the driver's side door and was sniffing at it.

"Shit," Sharon hissed.

"There's the understatement of the year," Brenda replied. Her arm slipped away from Sharon's waist. "What do we do? Are they dangerous?"

Sharon shot Brenda an incredulous look. "Oh, I don't know, Brenda Leigh. Why don't you go pat it and find out? Do you ever watch anything other than the Hallmark channel?!" Sharon demanded to know.

"There's no need to be rude," Brenda snapped back.

"Yes, of course they're dangerous!"

"So what do we do?"

"Waiting for it to go away seems like a good idea," Sharon answered.

"And you wonder why nobody likes you," Brenda muttered under her breath.

She never took her eyes off the bear. It was still sniffing around at the driver's side and she watched in shock as it placed one paw against the window and rose up. "What is it doing?"

"Do you have food in there?" Sharon asked.

"What do you think?" Brenda had bought some sandwiches at the gas station but hadn't eaten them yet.

"There's your answer."

Brenda stared at Sharon. "Since when do bears eat peanut butter and fluff sandwiches?"

Sharon resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "You really don't watch the Discovery Channel, do you?" She turned away from the car. "I suspect it'll be there a while. We should head back a little and wait for it to leave."

Brenda just followed Sharon and was surprised to see the brunette left the road and started to head for the treeline. She grabbed Sharon by her elbow and pulled her back. "What're you doin'?"

"Making sure it doesn't see us. Unless you fancy ending up as a bear's supper?" She looked at Brenda over the rim of her glasses and smirked. "You've got the hair for it, Goldilocks."

"Oh! That woman!" Brenda fumed but was careful not to let Sharon hear.

They came to a stop a few metres from the car and made sure to stay out of the bear's sight. It was making its way around the car now, heading towards the front. Now that they were closer, it seemed bigger than Sharon had first thought. For the first time since this adventure, by lack of a better word, had begun, Sharon felt her heart in the back of her throat and she grew increasingly aware of Brenda who was trying to move closer to the car.

"Stop!" she insisted. "It'll see us."

Brenda froze but not because of Sharon's words. The bear's big head turned in their direction and she held her breath, waited for it to go back to doing what it had been doing, but it continued to stare at the treeline. She took a hesitant step back and bumped into Sharon.

"Can't you just shoot it?" Brenda hissed.

"I would," Sharon answered. "But I left my gun in the car."

"Are you serious?!"

Sharon looked at Brenda. "And where's your gun, Brenda Leigh?"

Brenda's hand shot down to the holster at her hip but found it empty. Hers was in the car too. "Oh…" Her eyes snapped back at Sharon. "Why didn't you grab your gun?"

"Why didn't you?" Sharon retorted.

"Oh for heavens' sake!" Brenda groaned. "Now what?"

The snapping of branches alarmed both of them and they looked up to find the bear had abandoned the car and was now slowly making its way towards the tree line. It was only now that Sharon truly realised the size of the animal. It was much bigger than she had expected. She willed herself to remain calm but frantically looked around for anything that could help them get out of the animal's way. Beside her, Brenda stood nailed to the ground.

"Brenda?" Sharon took the blonde's arm. "BRENDA?!"

"What?"

Sharon pointed at the bear. It had changed direction again and was headed straight towards them. Sharon wondered if it could smell them. "Go!"

It happened fast. Faster than Sharon had anticipated. Her suspicions about the bear being able to smell them were confirmed when the animal suddenly sped up and closed in on them. Without thinking Sharon grabbed hold of Brenda's hand and dragged her along. It took a few seconds for Brenda's brain to catch up but then she realised they were running and when she looked over her shoulder, she saw the bear was maybe ten, fifteen metres behind them and closing in fast.

Brenda couldn't remember the last time she'd run from anything, other than her responsibilities, and it seemed surreal she was now actually running from a hungry bear. She tightened her grip on Sharon's hand and allowed the older woman to lead her. Sharon's eye sight seemed to be better than Brenda's in the dark and she easily avoided trees and low hanging branches.

Suddenly Sharon came to a stop and she put both her hands on Brenda's shoulders. Intense green eyes pierced into brown. "Can you climb?"

Brenda's heart thundered in her chest. "In theory, yes."

"Time to put that theory to the test then," Sharon insisted and pushed Brenda towards the tall tree behind them. Sharon nudged Brenda's shoulder to indicate she had to go first. When Brenda shot her a glance, she rolled her eyes. "Just for once, ok? Don't get used to it."

It took a bit more effort than she had expected but Brenda managed to get her feet up on the first branch and grabbed hold of the one above her head. She kicked off her shoes and once she was bare foot she had a better grip. Forgetting about the fact she wore a skirt and Sharon probably got to see a lot more than she'd bargained for, Brenda managed to climb up a few more branches. She looked over her shoulder and found Sharon had only just reached the tree. The bear was not far behind her.

Brenda let out a sharp squeal of fright as she yelled for Sharon to hurry. She was drowned out by Sharon's own voice but she couldn't quite make out what it was she was saying.

The bear seemed to move even quicker and for a split second Brenda didn't think Sharon was going to make it but then she grabbed hold of the lowest branch and pulled herself up. The bear rose up on its back legs and swiped at Sharon's feet as she sought to find some grip. She lost her right shoe and then then her left and yelped in pain when the bear's claw got hold of her ankle.

Sharon kicked, hard, and the bear let go for just one moment, but it was all she needed to pull herself up to the next branch and out of the animal's reach.

"You ok?" Brenda called and Sharon nodded.

"You?"

"I'll get back to you on that," she answered as she extended a hand and helped Sharon climb onto the same branch she was sitting on.

It was thick and wide enough to easily support the two of them. It wasn't exactly the presidential suite but there were probably more uncomfortable places in the world. Brenda sat back and tried to catch her breath. She peered at Sharon through her eyelashes. The brunette was panting slightly.

"So," Brenda sighed as she dared to look down to see if the bear was gone yet. She saw its big head at the bottom of the tree. It had one of Sharon's shoes in its mouth. She let herself fall back against the thick trunk of the tree and shook her head. "Now what do we do?"

"I don't know, Brenda. Why do I have to make all the decisions?" Sharon answered. She wiped the fine layer of sweat off her forehead. "Is it still there?"

Brenda nodded. "It's eating your shoes."

"What?!" Sharon looked horrified. "Those shoes cost nearly 300 dollars!"

"You wear shoes that cost 300 dollars? Who spends that much on shoes?" Brenda demanded to know.

"This coming from a woman who spends a fortune on candy?" Sharon snapped. "So instead of worrying about shoes, worry about how the hell we're going to get down from here."

"Same way we got up. Just without the bear." Brenda deadpanned.

"Thank you so much for that clever input," Sharon sighed and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She felt the sharp pain in her ankle and flinched.

From where she was sitting Brenda noticed for the first time how tired Sharon looked. She often forgot Sharon was a good ten years older than she was and Brenda herself felt the impact of her age in this moment. Perhaps the running and climbing had been harder on Sharon than Brenda had first thought. The longer she looked, the more she noticed the lines that had formed around Sharon's eyes.

Brenda could feel her feet were freezing. It was cold and she noticed Sharon shivered. "Are you ok?" she carefully inquired.

"Fine," Sharon answered abruptly. "All this because you just had to drive home tonight?!" She snapped and Brenda looked up in surprise. "You just couldn't wait till morning to drive home, could you?"

Brenda's eyes widened a little. "Sharon, what is…"

"Because that's what always happens. Whatever Brenda Leigh Johnson wants, Brenda Leigh Johnson gets. Do you ever stop and think about the fact your actions may have consequences?"

"The car breaking down and us getting chased up a tree is hardly something anyone would stop to think about!"

"I'm serious, Brenda Leigh!" Sharon quipped. She shivered as the cold wind pulled at her hair. She wished she'd at least brought her coat from the car. She rubbed her hands together in an attempt to keep her fingers warm and looked at the blonde woman who was now watching her with curious brown eyes. "Why is it you can never see that?"

Brenda didn't answer but watched instead as Sharon tried to huddle a little deeper into her blazer. She felt the cold too. Wearing a skirt, a simple plain t-shirt and cardigan wasn't exactly the kind of attire for a night in the woods. She could still hear the bear claw at the bottom of the tree, heard its low growl cut through the silence of the night.

"Come here," Brenda softly beckoned. Sharon was sitting on the branch, her legs still dangling over the edge, and she didn't seem at all comfortable. Brenda wasn't all that comfortable herself but she was closer to the trunk than Sharon. "It's more comfortable if you have something to lean against. And warmer too."

She looked around to see if there was a better place to sit. When they first got up here it had just been to get away from the animal below but now that they were stuck here, they might as well get comfortable. Brenda noticed the branch behind her that was splitting from the trunk. It split into a separate branch from the one they were already sitting on. The parts attached to the trunk were almost fused together and she and Sharon could sit against the trunk together easily.

"There," she said and pointed. "Do you think you can get there?"

Sharon hesitated for a moment but then nodded.

"Good," Brenda said. "I'll go first, ok?"

She looked around and found the branch above her. She grabbed it with her right hand, making sure she felt secure enough before standing up. She held on with both hands before carefully stepping backwards to the other branch. The branch felt rough against her bare feet. She then watched as Sharon carefully began moving along the branch until she reached the trunk. Once Sharon was almost at the trunk Brenda slowly went to sit down and waited for Sharon to turn around so that they were facing each other.

Sharon reached the trunk and let out a deep sigh. Her body ached and when she tried to swing her legs over to the other side so she could face Brenda, she felt the sharp pain again in her lower leg. She tentatively looked down and noticed her pants were ripped. Carefully she pulled the fabric back a little and exposed an angry looking gash across her skin. The pain was burning now, like someone had poured acid across her skin, and Sharon clamped her jaws together.

"Sharon?" Brenda asked. "Are you ok?"

"Fine."

It was pretty clear that Sharon wasn't fine but Brenda didn't ask any further. "Listen, if you turn around, it'll be easier to stay warm. And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry about your shoes." She knew that it sounded a little strange but it was the best she could do.

Sharon smiled at that and slowly managed to turn around on the branch until she was facing Brenda. She was surprised by how comfortable the blonde looked and she guessed Brenda had done this before. Not to hide from a bear, mind you, but climbing trees in general.

The tension in her chest only tightened now that the adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins wore off. For the first time since spotting the bear, her mind became clear and the realisation of what had happened kicked in. She looked at Brenda. They were stuck in the middle of nowhere up a fucking tree, without any cell phone reception and Sharon suspected she had just been semi mauled by a bear. She was probably going to need a tetanus shot in the not too distant future.

"What do we do?" she asked, her voice suddenly a little small.

"We wait," Brenda answered. "Till the bear leaves. Or till morning comes or help arrives. Whichever comes first."

"And what if help doesn't arrive?"

"If we're not back in Los Angeles by mornin', someone's goin' to know somethin' happened to us," Brenda reassured her. "Lieutenant Provenza will…"

"Provenza?" Sharon interjected. "You're putting your faith in Provenza?! What's next, having him launch a rescue mission together with Flynn?"

"What I mean is, someone will realise and it'll all be ok," Brenda said.

"And what if they don't?"

Brenda was taken aback by Sharon's sudden change in demeanour. The usually stoic FID Captain now seemed emotional, bordering on anxious. She swallowed her own insecurities and moved closer until she could take Sharon's hand. It was cold and she quickly pulled it closer to her, reached for Sharon's other hand and covered them both with her own. When Sharon looked up Brenda met her eyes.

"It's going to be OK," she promised. She ran her thumb over the back of Sharon's hand. Her skin was soft. Brenda wasn't used to being the one in the reassuring role and she wasn't quite sure she knew how to play it.

"I've hurt my ankle," Sharon whispered. "I think the bear…I don't even know if I can get out of this tree again." She glanced down into the darkness below. They were up higher than she thought. She felt a little dizzy just thinking about it. Panic settled in, took a firm hold of her brain. "Shit, what if we're going to be stuck up here till tomorrow morning?"

"Sharon, listen to me," Brenda insisted as she moved closer still. Seeing the Captain like this unnerved Brenda. She wasn't used to it. Sharon wasn't ever the one to lose control. "Sharon, listen to me…" She put a stronger emphasis on her words but it seemed that Sharon just didn't hear her. Sharon's eyes were distant, like she'd gotten lost somewhere.

Brenda still held Sharon's hands between her own. They were freezing and she gently rubbed them together to make them feel warm. She wasn't sure what she was doing was right but she kept her eyes fixed on Sharon and kept talking to her. "Sharon, just look at me," she repeated. "Look at me."

Sharon looked up but Brenda wasn't sure the brunette actually saw her. She was shaking now; Brenda could feel her arms tremble. Was she cold? She had to be, the temperature seemed to be dropping quickly. Carefully she let her hands slide up and down the length of Sharon's arms creating friction in an effort to promote warmth. The shaking didn't quite stop but it wasn't as bad as before. Brenda felt a strand of Sharon's hair against her fingers and touched it. Sharon turned her head a little, as if she only now noticed the blonde was actually still there.

"We can't stay here," Sharon muttered. "We have to get down and find a way to get help. We need to…"

"Sharon, it's going to be ok," Brenda repeated, it has become like a mantra now. "We won't be here forever. Maybe an hour, at worst two. No more. Before we know it we'll be back in Los Angeles and…"

The low growling coming from the darkness below reminded them that they were still not alone. Brenda tried to see but couldn't quite make out the bear, however she could hear it move around and that was all the confirmation she needed.

"Who's going to find us here? They don't even know where we are." Sharon looked thoroughly panicked now. "Even if they launch a search and rescue party…"

"If they do then they'll find us sooner or later. We're not that far from the main road. Look, you can almost see it through the branches!" Brenda pointed in the general direction of where she thought the road was. She wasn't even sure she was right but she had to try something. She looked back at Sharon and could see the fear in her eyes. This was so unlike the Captain, it made her feel almost uncomfortable but at the same time it pushed her to be the one to keep a level head. There really was a first time for everything.

Sharon logically knew Brenda was talking sense. She knew they were close to the road and that the animal below them wouldn't stay there forever. But she was injured and she really didn't know how she was going to get down without hurting herself even more. The pain in her ankle was sharp and the thought of adding to that wasn't something she wanted to consider. But what other choice did she have? And even if they did come down, the car was still broken. They still needed rescuing one way or another. If only they'd just booked a flight like Sharon had suggested…

"I have somewhere I need to be tomorrow afternoon. I can't miss it. And I just really, really don't want to be stuck here," Sharon said. She spoke quickly and her words seemed to almost blend together. The cold began to settle into her body, crept into her bones, and she shivered violently.

Brenda shook her head. "You'll be home soon," she insisted. "I promise."

"How can you even promise that?" Sharon stared at Brenda, wide eyed. "You don't know that! We could be here for hours and…"

Before she realised what she was doing, Brenda leaned in and kissed the Captain firmly on the lips, if only to shut the other woman up.

Sharon froze, eyes still wide open. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noted that Brenda's lips tasted of coffee and chocolate.

One second… Two seconds…

And then she lost herself. She lost herself in the feeling of Brenda softly kissing her, of tasting coffee and chocolate not only on Brenda's lips but on her own too. She didn't even hesitate when Brenda's tongue softly pressed against her lips seeking entrance and Sharon leaned deeper into the kiss. Brenda's hands were still on her shoulders but travelled slowly to the sides of her face, cupping her cheek. Sharon didn't even think about where her own hands were. All she noticed, all she felt, was Brenda.

Sharon had never been one to fight for control during a kiss and this time was no different. She tentatively met Brenda's tongue with her own and let out a soft gasp when Brenda gently bit her lower lip. Sharon captured the younger woman's lips more fiercely and something stirred inside of her, something warm, and she let it take hold.

Sharon's left hand found its way into Brenda's hair, firmly threading the blonde curls and pulled her deeper into the kiss. She felt Brenda's fingers trail from her cheek down the side of her neck until they reached the collar of her blazer. Soft fingertips danced over the suddenly glowing skin of Sharon's neck. Brenda circled her fingers around until she found the spot where she could feel Sharon's thundering heartbeat against her fingertips.

Sharon jumped a little at the feeling of Brenda's fingers against her skin and almost lost her balance. Her body swayed for a couple of seconds before she regained control and she managed to stay exactly where she was but her grip on Brenda tightened a little, drawing a soft gasp from the younger woman's mouth.

Sharon's other hand rested on Brenda's shoulder but dipped a little lower, down towards where the neckline of Brenda's t-shirt met her skin.

Brenda felt as if her mind was rapidly spinning out of control. She leaned even closer to Sharon but gravity took hold, her body shifted slightly and she felt herself slipping. Her core muscles tightened in an attempt to control her body. Her eyes snapped open and the reality of what was happening hit her

As suddenly as it had begun, it was over. All at once Brenda gained control of her senses and she instantly pulled away from the older woman. She let her hands fall into her lap and didn't dare look at Sharon. She blushed and although Sharon couldn't really see it in the dark, Brenda still felt self-conscious because of it.

"Brenda…," Sharon began.

"I'm so sorry, Captain," Brenda stuttered as she looked around to try and find the best way to put some distance between them. The use of Sharon's title instead of her name changed the atmosphere almost immediately

Sharon reached out for Brenda in that instant and stilled her with a hand on her knee.

"It's OK, Brenda Leigh. Really, it's OK."

Only it wasn't OK and Sharon knew it. She was left reeling from what had just happened. But they were stuck up a tree for God sake, with literally nowhere to go, so what else was she to say?

It occurred to Sharon that Brenda's impulsive action might have done her a favour as all of a sudden she was a lot calmer than she had been a few minutes earlier. Stunned might have been a better word to describe it, but whatever it was, Sharon was suddenly back to being in control of her thoughts and she realised something.

"Brenda, do you still have your cell phone on you?"

"Yes," was Brenda's dull reply. "Why?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe if you were to climb a little higher up, we might be able to get a signal," Sharon stated flatly.

Brenda gave this idea some thought and cursed herself for not thinking of it herself.

"I suppose it's worth a try."

She slowly stood and looked up. There was another branch she could climb to quite easily and she managed to pull herself up. Once she was sure she'd found her footing Brenda made her way up higher into the tree with surprising ease. Maybe all those years of building tree houses with her brothers had finally paid off. She reached a thick branch not too far from the top and after she'd sat down with her back against the trunk, she looked down to see if she could spot Sharon.

"You OK?" she called out.

"Fine," Sharon's voice called back from the darkness. Brenda couldn't see her.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The screen lit up and she waited with baited breath to see if the dreaded words 'no signal' changed into what she hoped would be a bar of cell service. Brenda rested her head against the trunk and almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation she had found herself in. Would anyone actually believe her if she told them she was stuck up a tree in the middle of nowhere together with Sharon Raydor because they were chased by an angry bear? She sure as hell wouldn't believe anyone who would tell her that story…

And what was she thinking kissing Sharon? Had she even wanted to kiss Sharon Raydor?

It wasn't exactly like Brenda was free to kiss whoever she wanted in this world; the wedding ring on her finger was a firm reminder of that. But then again, it hadn't exactly meant anything. She'd just tried to get Sharon to shut up, bring her back into the moment somehow. And it had worked. So what if Sharon had kissed her back? It didn't have to mean anything. Brenda had just tried to help her and that was all there was to it.

It had to be.

Brenda looked back down at her phone and noticed to her delight that she had one whole bar of service. She dialed Fritz's number and held the phone close to her ear. She'd never been so glad to hear the sound of a phone ringing. But after the third ring the voice mail kicked in and Brenda didn't even wait for her husband's voice to ask her to leave a message. She hung up and dialed the second number that came to mind. The person on the other side answered after the first ring.

"Chief?"

"Lieutenant," Brenda sighed in relief at the sound of Provenza's voice. That alone was something she had never expected. "Listen, the reception here is awful but I need you to do something for me, alright?"

"Sure."

"Captain Raydor and I have encountered a little bit of trouble on our way back to Los Angeles." Brenda bit down on her lip. There was no way she was going to get out of this without having to say the actual words. "The car broke down and we are…" She closed her eyes. "Stuck up a tree."

"Excuse me?" Provenza asked and Brenda could just imagine him as he raised his eyebrows. "Did you just say that you and Captain Raydor are stuck up a tree?"

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"Do I want to know how that happened?"

"I imagine yes, but I am not going to tell you." Brenda snapped. "I need you to get in touch with Sheriff's office or…" She tried to remember who carried the responsibility for things like this. "Oh, I don't know, whoever's in charge of rescuing stranded drivers. Just get someone to come pick us up. We're somewhere off the I-5. Last town we past was maybe fifty miles back. Middle of nowhere kind of place. Think it's called Sandville. It had a Sheriff's office."

"Do I ask for a crane too?" Provenza snorted. He could barely contain his amusement. Just wait till the guys heard about this, he thought to himself.

"A crane, Lieutenant?"

"You know, to get you and the Captain out of that tree."

Brenda could have sworn she heard him stifle a snort. "Just get on the phone, Lieutenant." When he confirmed that he was on it she hung up and shook her head. There was no way she was ever going to live this down.

She put the phone back in her pocket and gazed down in the general direction of the Captain. She knew they still had a bit of a wait ahead of them, and that she should probably climb back down there and wait with Sharon, but for some reason Brenda could not bring herself to do it.

"Is everything OK up there?" Sharon called from the branches below. "Are you alright, Brenda?"

"Yes, Yes, Sharon, everything's fine." Brenda lied. "I'm on my way back down now."

Getting down was harder than getting up but Brenda managed. Her feet were cold, sore and undoubtedly bruised but when she reached the spot where she had left Sharon, Brenda just sighed. The brunette was leaning against the trunk and looked up at Brenda with hopeful eyes. "Well?"

"I spoke to Lieutenant Provenza. He's contacting the Sheriff's office back in Sandville and someone will be on their way to pick us up." Brenda stared down at her bare feet. She couldn't bring herself to look at Sharon.

"So it won't be long?"

"It shouldn't be, no."

Sharon nodded and looked down into the darkness below them. "I think it's gone. The bear, I mean."

"Really?" Brenda looked down too. She listened. She didn't hear any leaves rustling or branches snapping, no low growling. There was only silence. When she looked back up and found Sharon watching her, she almost wished for the bear to be back. It seemed easier to deal with that then with the look in Sharon's eyes.

"About earlier…" Sharon tried but Brenda shook her head.

"Let's just forget about it, OK?"

Sharon nodded, slightly taken aback by Brenda's sharp response.

After the blonde had climbed up higher, she'd thought about what happened. All she wanted was for Brenda to know that they could talk about if she wanted to. Because Sharon wanted to. But clearly Brenda didn't and that was the end of it. So she leaned back against the trunk, pulled her knees up towards her chest and looked down at her ankle. She couldn't see much in the dark but she felt the cuts along the length of her foot.

Brenda went to sit back in her own spot and jumped when her hand accidentally brushed against Sharon's. She softly mumbled an apology and then focused on the bit of the sky she could see through the branches and leaves and tried to count the stars.

Neither knew how long it had been but eventually Sharon noticed the tiny speck of light in the distance that seemed to be coming closer. She turned to Brenda and tapped her on the arm. Brenda lifted her head up and looked into the direction Sharon was pointing. She had to squint but she saw the light move in the distance and her heartbeat quickened. Only five minutes later the unmistakable sound of a car engine cut through the silence and Sharon let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God for that."

Brenda got up. The car's headlights were just a few metres away and the vehicle had come to a stop. In the bright beam she could now make out the shape of their car and the lone figure she guessed was a man exiting from the other vehicle.

"Chief Johnson?! Captain Raydor?!" The man's voice traveled through the night. "It's Deputy Sheriff Walker!"

Brenda and Sharon shared a look and Sharon nodded.

"We're here!" Brenda called back. "We could use a little help!"

"I'll be right over. What are you doing there anyway?!"

Sharon shook her head. "It's a long story."

Brenda looked at Sharon, noticed the way the brunette was holding her foot. "Are you going to be alright making your way down?"

"What, you plan to carry me?" Sharon joked but then nodded. "I'll be fine. I might just need a little help when we I get to the bottom."

"I'll go first then, Brenda suggested.

She made her way down the tree and reached the lowest branch after just a few minutes. She looked around to reassure herself the bear really was gone and noticed Deputy Sheriff's Walker's flashlight cutting through the darkness as he approached. Brenda jumped down from the last branch to the ground and landed neatly on her feet before turning around to see Sharon was only a couple of branches behind her. She could tell she wasn't putting a lot of weight on her foot and when she reached the last branch, Sharon hesitated.

"I don't think I can jump down. My foot's never going to take the blow."

"Ok," Brenda said. "Maybe if you sit down on the branch, let yourself slide off and just…" She almost flinched at her own words. "I will kind of catch you when you land"

Sharon bit back an answer and did what Brenda had told her. She sat down, her feet dangling over the edge and waited for Brenda to position herself in such a way she could support Sharon.

"Don't you let me fall," she warned.

"I wouldn't dare. Can you imagine the paperwork?!"

Sharon carefully let herself slide down and landed on her uninjured foot. Brenda's arms were right there to support her and Sharon looked up into those big brown eyes. Neither of them spoke. The next second both their faces were lit up by the Deputy Sheriff's flashlight.

"Chief Johnson?" he asked and Brenda raised her hand.

"Are you alright? Is anyone hurt?"

"We're fine, though Captain Raydor has hurt her foot," Brenda answered.

Sheriff Walker moved his light down to the ground and noticed the two pairs of abandoned shoes. Each one had been mauled, and one of Brenda's had been shredded completely. He looked back up at the two women. "What happened?"

Brenda just shook her head. "You don't wanna know."

"You must be freezing. I have some blankets and hot coffee in my car."

He turned around and started heading back in the direction of the car. Brenda followed him, keen to get into the warm car and create some distance between herself and Sharon. It was only when that last thought struck her that she remembered what had happened to Sharon's foot and she glance dover her shoulder. She could see Sharon limping as she tried to catch up. She turned around and headed back over to the brunette.

"Come on," she said softly as she slipped one of Sharon's arms around her shoulders to help take some of the weight. She suddenly shivered and she was unsure if it was because of the cold or because Sharon was now so close to her again.

"Brenda?" Sharon asked softly. "I just wanted to…"

"Please, Sharon, don't," Brenda cut her off. There was a sharpness to her voice that struck Sharon. "It was a mistake." She swallowed hard. The words hurt even if she didn't understand why. "It never should have happened. I just want to forget it."

Sharon just nodded. "Sorry."

Brenda was struck by how small and fragile the Captains voice seemed.

They reached the car and Brenda held the back passenger door for Sharon and helped her get in. She then softly closed the door and circled the vehicle. After informing Sheriff Walker that she and Sharon had left their guns in the car and giving him the keys, Brenda got in on the other side.

A few minutes went by before Walker appeared by the passenger door. He handed Brenda her weapon and she holstered it before giving Sharon hers. She then gratefully accepted the blankets Walker handed to her.

Brenda handed the first blanket to Sharon before draping the second one around herself. It was only now that she realised how cold she felt. Walker produced two plastic cups from somewhere and poured hot coffee into them.

"Sorry, it's just plain black," he apologised. "It's all I've got."

Brenda usually took two sugars in her coffee or honey in her tea and she was pretty sure Sharon had cream in hers but she accepted the warm cup and took a small sip from the hot liquid. She watched Sharon from the corner of her eye and noticed the way she was cradling the cup between her hands, the way she was staring out of the window, her face blank. She'd covered herself completely with the blanket apart from her hands and was huddled against the door, completely absent from the moment.

"I've got a first aid kit but I think your friend really could do with seeing a doctor," Walker said as he leaned into the back of the car and handed the first aid kit to Brenda.

"Thank you." Brenda nodded and accepted the offering. She placed her coffee on the centre console and looked at the First Aid Kit in her lap. Brenda had been trained in first aid but for some reason everything she had been taught had suddenly flown out the window.

She opened the kit and removed some gauze then she glanced at the Captain again. Brenda reached over and gently pulled the blanket away from Sharon's ankle to expose the injury. Her first thought was to stop the bleeding, but seeing as it appeared there wasn't much bleeding at this stage, Brenda decided the best thing to do was nothing. It was more important to get Sharon to a hospital and have it properly taken care of than worry about wasting time here in the car. Besides, Sharon didn't look to be in too much pain, not physically anyway, so instead Brenda closed up the first aid kit and set it aside before moving Sharon's blanket back into place and reclaiming her coffee.

Behind the wheel now, Walker waited for Brenda to get situated before starting the engine. The heating kicked in almost straight away.

"I'll arrange for someone to tow your car tomorrow morning," Walker said and he made eye contact with Brenda through the rear view mirror.

Brenda just nodded and then looked back at Sharon. The older woman hadn't said anything since getting in the car and Brenda felt guilty for having rejected her earlier. She sensed Sharon wanted to talk about what happened even though Brenda didn't. But it wasn't just about what she wanted, Brenda thought. This was just as much about how Sharon felt too.

Slowly she sat up and moved a little across the back seat. Sharon was holding her cup in her left hand whilst the other lay in her lap. She looked up when she felt Brenda's fingers against her arm and their gazes locked as Brenda threaded her fingers with Sharon's. Sharon's hand was warm now and their fingers fitted perfectly together.

Minutes slowly began to tick by and Brenda felt Sharon lay her head down against her shoulder. She held her breath for just a moment, almost too afraid to move in case Sharon pulled away, but then she relaxed and carefully angled her position so that Sharon could rest more comfortably against her. She smiled as she caught a glimpse of their reflection in the window. Sharon's eyes were closed and Brenda could feel from the steady rhythm of her breathing that the older woman was asleep.

Brenda looked down at her fingers still entwined with Sharon's and she knew they would have to talk about the events of their evening eventually. What had happened was too big a thing to go unprocessed. Brenda knew Sharon would have to deal with the kiss and she also knew that part of the way Sharon would deal with it was to talk about that. Brenda supposed she could do that for Sharon, just not tonight. Tonight she just wanted to sit in the back seat of the Sheriffs car and hold Sharon's hand whilst she slept. Brenda wasn't sure why but sitting here, with Sharon beside her, was the safest Brenda had felt in a very long time.

They would figure this out, one way or another. But until then, the quiet of the backseat and the feeling of Sharon's hand in hers, was enough.


End file.
